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March 12, 2025: Donald Trump presidency news

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Ukraine’s plan of using Russia’s Kursk region as a bargaining tool in negotiations has collapsed, Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, claimed Wednesday.

Russia has reclaimed 86% of the area and hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have been taken prisoner in the region, Gerasimov claimed as President Vladimir Putin was making his first visit to the region since Ukraine’s incursion in August last year.

“Moreover (the) Kyiv leadership was trying to use the foray into the Kursk region to stop our advances and take away our troops from Donbass,” he said. “This enemy’s plan totally collapsed.”

Ukrainian troops in the region have been surrounded, Gerasimov also claimed.

CNN cannot independently verify the general’s claims.

Putin said the goal is to “completely liberate” the region as soon as possible and raised the possibility of creating a “buffer zone” along Russia’s border with Ukraine.

Appearing on Russian state television dressed in military uniform, Putin also said all Ukrainian soldiers captured in Kursk will be treated as terrorists.

Some background: Ukraine launched its shock incursion into Kursk in August, swiftly capturing territory in what was the first ground invasion of Russia by a foreign power since World War II. As well as capturing land that could potentially be swapped for Russian-occupied territory, the campaign aimed to divert Moscow’s resources from the front lines in the east. But since then, Ukraine has struggled to hold onto its captured territory, with its grip on the region rapidly deteriorating in recent days.

What Ukraine is saying: Moscow is using airborne troops and special operations forces to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk, and has carried out air strikes on its own land, Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s army, said in a post on Telegram. Russia is attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses in Kursk and move the fighting to the northeastern Ukrainian regions of Sumy and Kharkiv, he said. His priority is to save his soldiers’ lives even if it means maneuvering them into “more favorable positions” while continuing to hold defense in Kursk for as long as it’s appropriate, he said.

This post was updated with a statement from Ukraine’s military leadership.



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Patriot missiles: What are they and why does Ukraine need them so badly?

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CNN
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US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Ukraine will receive Patriot missile systems as part of a new package of US weaponry has been warmly welcomed in Kyiv as it reels under nightly Russian bombardments.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has made repeated requests for Patriots in recent weeks as Moscow sends record numbers of drones and missiles to cause havoc and fear in Ukrainian cities and towns.

But there were few specifics in Trump’s announcement, and major questions remain over how many Ukraine will receive, when they will arrive, and who will provide them.

Here’s what we know about the vaunted US missile defense system:

The Patriots, short for Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target, are the US Army’s key missile defense system.

They most recently proved their worth last month, when they helped shoot down 13 out of 14 incoming Iranian missiles that were launched at the US Air Force’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The latest versions of Patriot interceptors are capable of engaging incoming short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones at altitudes up to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and distances of up to 35 kilometers.

Analysts say that gives a single Patriot battery the ability to cover 100 to 200 square kilometers of area, depending on how many launchers are in the battery, local terrain and other conditions. That’s not a large area in a country the size of Ukraine, at more than 603,000 kilometers in total area.

Hence, Kyiv’s need for multiple new Patriot batteries.

US soldiers walk next to a Patriot missile defense battery during joint exercises at the military grounds in Sochaczew, Poland on March 21, 2015.

A battery consists of six to eight missile launchers, each capable of carrying up to 16 interceptors, along with a phased-array radar, a control station, a power generation station – all mounted on trucks and trailers.

About 90 people are assigned to a Patriot battery, but only three soldiers in the command and control center can operate it in a combat situation, according to US military reports.

A Patriot battery is expensive, with the complete setup of launchers, radars and interceptor missiles costing more than a billion dollars, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

A single interceptor costs up to $4 million, making their use against cheap Russian drones that can cost as little as $50,000 problematic, according to a CSIS report – especially when Russia is sending hundreds of drones a night in recent attacks on Ukraine.

In regards to the latest transfer, US officials said Patriots could get to Ukraine quicker if they were moved from European NATO allies to Ukraine, with those then being replaced by systems bought from the US.

Trump said some or all of 17 Patriot batteries ordered by other countries could get to Ukraine “very quickly,” according to a Reuters report.

According to the “Military Balance 2025” from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, six NATO allies – Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain – have Patriot batteries in their arsenals.

<p>A prominent Russian politician said Monday the mood in Russia is “not affected” after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his plan for ending the bloodshed in Ukraine.</p>

Russian lawmaker: Mood in Russia “not affected” by Trump’s 50-day deadline

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Monday that several nations – including Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway – could be potential suppliers of the new equipment, but did not specifically mention the Patriots as coming from those countries.

There has been concern inside and outside the military that US Patriot inventories may be stretched too thin.

“It is our most stressed force element,” Gen. James Mingus, vice chief of staff of the Army, told a dialogue at the CSIS earlier this month.

He noted the Patriot unit in Qatar that helped defend the Al Udeid air base had been deployed to the Middle East for 500 days, Mingus said, a “very stressed force element.”

Ukraine has said it needs 10 new Patriot batteries to protect itself against Russia’s increased onslaught of missiles and drones.

Kyiv has already received six fully operational Patriot batteries – two from the US, two from Germany, one from Romania and one jointly given by Germany and the Netherlands, according to the UK-based arms monitoring group Action on Armed Violence.

Analysts say Patriots alone can’t end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Wesley Clark, a retired US Army general and former NATO supreme commander, told CNN’s Lynda Kinkade on Monday that the for the arms package to have real effect on the battlefield, it would have to include more than air defense systems.

“If you want to really stop this, you’ve got to strike Russia and you’ve got to strike deep,” Clark said. “you have to shoot the archer and not the arrows coming in.”

CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report



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Sycamore gap tree fellers sentenced to more than four years each in prison

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CNN
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Two men have been sentenced to four years and three months each in prison for felling a landmark sycamore tree in northern England.

Daniel Graham, 39, and Adam Carruthers, 32, were both found guilty of two counts of criminal damage in May, one relating to the tree itself and the other to Hadrian’s Wall that it fell on, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

The pair were sentenced in Newcastle Crown Court in northeast England on Tuesday.

The tree had stood sentinel on the Roman-built Hadrian’s Wall for more than 200 years before being “deliberately felled” in September 2023, in what authorities at the time called an “act of vandalism.”

Handing down the sentence, the judge said the pair acted with “sheer bravado” and “revelled in the media coverage” their criminal act engendered.

Prosecuting lawyer Richard Wright KC told jurors during the trial that Graham and Carruthers, who had travelled more than 40 minutes from their homes in Cumbria, had engaged in a “moronic mission” to cut down the landmark, PA reported.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Christopher Atkinson of the Crown Prosecution Service, said in a statement that both men had cynically lied about the part they played and blamed each other for “the mindless destruction of this historic landmark.”

The felling of the tree sparked an outpouring of public grief and made global headlines in September 2023.

“An overwhelming sense of loss and confusion was felt across the world,” Andrew Poad, a manager at the National Trust, said in a victim impact statement read out in court, according to PA media.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Susan Dungworth echoed these sentiments in a statement, saying: “The unfathomable felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree generated outrage and upset among many people who had taken Northumberland’s iconic tree to heart.”

“Today those who sought to destroy nature’s poignant symbol of Northumberland have been held accountable,” she added.

The tree was cut down in September 2023.

The beloved sycamore tree, located in the Northumberland National Park, was made famous to millions around the world when it appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 blockbuster movie “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.”

The tree – at a spot known as “Sycamore Gap” – was located on the UNESCO World Heritage listed Hadrian’s Wall, which was constructed around 1,900 years ago to guard the furthest northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire.

Sycamore Gap was considered one of the most photographed trees in England and was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016.

Responding to the sentencing, a National Trust spokesperson said: “As the investigation into the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree concludes, we are deeply grateful for the thousands of messages of support received from around the world over the past 18 months.

“The enduring sense of loss reflects the powerful bond between people and our natural heritage,” the spokesperson added.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Jack Guy and Issy Ronald contributed reporting.



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Trump hasn’t ruled out funneling longer-range missiles to Ukraine

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CNN
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As President Donald Trump hardens his position toward Moscow and seeks new ways to bring the conflict to an end, he is leaving open the prospect of allowing shipments of longer-range missiles to the country that would allow it to strike deeper into Russia, according to officials familiar with the matter.

In conversations with European allies over the past several weeks, Trump has not ruled out allowing certain offensive weapons into Ukraine, including products Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously requested from the United States but not yet received, the officials said.

Trump has also asked about Ukraine’s ability to carry out strikes deep inside Russia in recent weeks in an effort to increase pressure on the Kremlin to drive an end to the war, according to a source briefed on the conversation.

In a recent phone call with Zelensky, Trump asked about Ukraine’s ability to hit both Moscow and St. Petersburg, the source said, a question first reported by the Financial Times.

A US official and a White House official said the question was one of many the president asked about the conflict on the call, and seemed to be raised in passing.

But the Ukrainians were stunned and took Trump’s ideas seriously. Zelensky said that the strikes could be carried out if the Ukrainians had the weapons needed, the first source said. After the conversation, there has been follow-up discussion between Ukraine, other European countries and the US about long-range systems that could be given to Ukraine, the source said.

Ukraine has already been reaching Moscow and the St. Petersburg area with drone strikes.

After the Financial Times reported on Trump’s question, the White House said Trump’s words had been taken out of context.

“President Trump was merely asking a question, not encouraging further killing. He’s working tirelessly to stop the killing and end this war,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN.

The episode underscores the current dynamic between the two countries, as Zelensky works tirelessly to get Trump’s ear and does not want to squander what might be limited support and engagement from the United States.

Asked whether long range offensive missiles were under discussion as part of the NATO plan announced Monday, the alliance’s secretary general said the scheme could include all types of weapons.


“It’s both defensive and offensive, so it’s all kinds of weapons. But we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through with the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians,” Mark Rutte said after meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

On Monday, Trump’s NATO envoy Matt Whitaker said the immediate focus on shipping weapons to Ukraine was on defensive systems, like the Patriot missile batteries. But he didn’t rule out providing offensive weapons.

“All weapons are both offensive and defensive,” he said. “Obviously an air defense system is important and critical for the situation, but at the same time we’re not taking anything off the table.”

At the end of his term, President Joe Biden allowed shipments of powerful long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to Ukraine for use inside Russia, though those weapons would not be able to reach the two cities Trump questioned Zelensky about in his phone call.

Trump called the move “stupid” and a “big mistake,” and questioned why he wasn’t consulted as he was preparing to take office.

Ukraine has also previously requested — but not yet received – Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, which are fired from F-16 fighter jets. European nations have previously provided those jets to Ukraine.

For now, however, the priority appears to be getting Ukraine air defense systems — namely, the Patriot batteries that can intercept Russian ballistic missiles. Those products will be the first to enter the new weapons pipeline that Trump announced Monday involving European nations purchasing the products and then transferring them to Ukraine.

The weapons will be available to ship quickly from existing stockpiles in Europe, and will likely be backfilled by new purchases from the US by European nations.

“When it comes to ammunition and missiles, we will work on this from now on, every hour, making sure that the stuff gets into Ukraine. But of course, we know it’s not only Patriots,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday, citing other systems used to intercept cruise missiles as essential to Ukraine’s defenses.

“This is really discussing everything the US can still deliver without hurting the defense of the US itself,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.



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